Sagna hails ‘warrior’ Flamini

The midfielder, who has returned to the Emirates having rejected a new contract at AC Milan, is expected to take a place on the bench against Sp*rs having impressed Arsene Wenger with his fitness during a stint training with the club.

Speaking ahead of the North London derby, Sagna, who played alongside Flamini during Arsenal’s promising but eventually fruitless 2007/08 campaign (as well as for France), told Arsenal.com:

“Mathieu is a warrior. I had the pleasure of playing with him six years ago and he is back and very motivated to play for Arsenal. I am looking forward to playing with him again.”

Well-versed in the passion of London’s premiere beauty and the beast coming together, Sagna also spoke of how much he’s looking forward to hearing the terraces recount what it is that Mrs Villas-Boas Snr does with her spare time.

“This game is one of the highlights of the season because it is a derby – we know how important it is for the fans, the club and the players to win it. The atmosphere is just magic and it will be even more magic if we win on Sunday.”

Give Bacman a new bloody contract for as long as he wants and lets show this new bunch of fancy boys what the prem and a bloody derby is all about.

COYB

ALso AVB go do things with marrows and that hole of yours that points to the ground !!!

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Duddy

I’m currently going through as many comments as possible on this site, trying to like them so they have 5 thumbs up and 2 thumbs down where possible… COYG! Let’s trash the 5pud2!

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

mohsine

sorry got to dislike your comment just to maintain the gap !

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

GU1TAR-D3MON

Sunday can’t come sooner!

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

A N Other

One of the best Arsene’s signings..

What I like about him is that he doesn’t mince his words. He says the way he sees it..

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Good Omens

How great would that be to be called a ‘warrior’ by a work mate, it would make my day. Saunter into work Monday morning, everyone looks at you, thumps their breasts – ” Bring on the workday, no job too large, the warrior is here”… then I’d go out and fix boilers knowing if that boiler plays up I will go medieval on its ass, and they’d know it ! (Perhaps I shouldn’t drink on Friday evenings).

off topic but i’m really irked by the transfer of eriksen (sp.) to tottenham. I know this is controversial but do you think that as a player tottenham is a more attractive destination? call me pessimistic but tottenham look eerily strong, Paulinho/ capoue are both more exciting than flamini (no disrespect) and the article saying nb52 could play has riled me no end. I’ve been not a staunch believer in wenger and what financial restrictions he puts on himself but i’ve always been proud of the fact that arsenal stick to their guns with transfers but i guess thats because maybe i never heard of the players saying no as the club once was a promising place for a plaver to be (as i imagine a player would view) now we are clearly back in fighting for the top 4 rather than challenging for the top and tottenham are clearly investing and improving i don’t have the confidence this year to suggest that we will be celerbrating st totteringhams day at all and i think that’s known by players wanting in….
sorry for rant. :/

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Rufusstan

Flamini is not meant to be exciting. If he’s exciting; he’s doing it wrong.

On the rest, Spurs have brought a lot of players, which looks good, but there is not much there that is better than we already have.

More importantly, they have lost as many first teamers as they have signed, and with Bale going……

looking at some of them:

They’ve paid £26 mil for Lamela, who would be competing with Walcott.

In Eriksen they’ve paid £12 mil for a 21 year old who would be fighting for a place with us with Aaron and Jack.

Capoue is £10 mil for a guy who has not played in the CL and has only played for a mid-table French club, VS Flamini. You choose.

Paulinho, again £17mil for a guy competing with Jack and Aaron.

Soldado is the only one who I’d look at and say ‘yup he’d improve us’, but only because we need someone to cover Giroud.

Overall, Spurs signed them because they are not interesting for us, rather than Spurs being a better club (maybe somewhere they will actually get a game ….)

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

ChampsMagnetiques

The Bacary Sagna seal of approval is all I need. Welcome home Mathieu.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

santori

And a logical choice.

1) Flamini fulfills cover for RB and DM thereby eases pressure on our positions for bids in those areas and our bargaining position.

2) Flamini is more experienced now and will bring the sort of cool head that Benayoun did for us two seasons past.

3) Flamini is similar in many ways to Arteta and Ramsey so we have triple cover in the position. If you consider we have not been playing with a dedicated DM (Arteta is closest) for some time rather a rotating midfield 3, this makes a lot of sense where most are dissapointed bc they are thinking along diff lines (granted a bit of height ala Diaby could be useful in our midfield)

4) Flamini knows Wenger’s game and what we need. He will hit the ground running far quicker than Paulinho, Capoue or Ericksen.

5) Flamini is free. And he has unfinished business. Corsican hitman welcome (back) to Arsenal.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

James

Erikson would normally be a wenger signing, talented and cheap suprised he has let him go to spuds.

To be fair their team does look strong now and their bench is very strong and experienced, were as we have on our bench zalalem a guy who to be fair has no experience and sanogo and gnabry barely a 1 st team game between them and you can see wenger is reluctant to bring them on because of this.

We can’t challenge until we have a strong bench, fuck this stifling talent shit. If you want to win you need a strong bench, and we haven’t had one for long enough, this summer should have been different but we won’t have time now to really create a big title winning squad, very sad :/

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

AFCEdwards

Eriksen isn’t as good as everyone thinks he is, he was very good for his age once, not anymore.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

James

Can’t tell me Paulinho, lamela, soldado, Ericsson and a cb wouldn’t have enviro rates out squad and really driven us forward this season. Paulinho looks real class especially and would have liked a player like Soldado to come on when Giroud is injured/out of form, he knows where the net is, and alot better than no one

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

santori

They could improve the squad but we could also buy much better.

Spurs may have jumped the gun (no pun)

OTOH, our reinforcements currently are existential where their’s are very much concrete.

If Arsene pulls off 3-4 great signings (which he still could) the press, the pundits most on these threads are going to look very foolish indeed.

if not, they will have him for breakfast.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Bonjour

If we don’t sign anybody, it doesn’t matter. We will run Cazorla to the ground and when he gets injured we will run Zelalem to the ground but who cares? Lose 0-5 to United, oh well. We’ll probably miss out on the CL spot and those cunts down the road will be celebrating but does Stan give a fuck? No more CL money, so just increase the ticket prices to compensate for the earnings, there are more than enough tourists to fill the 60,000 seats at the stadium every week. Nobody cares anymore in the management.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Theoretical Signing #1

I don’t think existential means what you think it means, but otherwise good points well made.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Leandro

Maybe Tottenham did not buy the top top players in the world but they are reinforced (Paulinho is great, but plays the one position we don’t need that badly). One or two of their players are bound to be great (sometimes you get Andre Santos, sometimes you get Arteta). We of all clubs should know form and competition for places are what make players perform week in week out. Maybe it’s too late to buy our first choice players, but we can at least buy quality depth, options and players to contend for positions. I think most are mostly happy with how our first team is doing at the moment anyway, but we know it won’t last forever.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

DangerMouse

I hail warrior Sagna.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

weedwacker

do it

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Richie Waweru

Everyone just relax and try to imagine the transfer window is closed and these lads are all we have. Let’s back them to the end and hope for a positive result after the derby.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Bonjour

If the transfer window is closed and these lads are all we have, I doubt people will be in the right state of mind to back them until the end. Just a few more injuries and we will have a Zelalem-Frimpong-Gnabry midfield three playing against Manchester United. Relax! They are top top top quality! If not they are just lacking a little bit the sharpness!

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Hank Scorpio

Just reading we’re interested in fucking Solomon Kalou
If we sign a plodder like him Arsene & co should hang their heads in shame & offer to step aside while chimpanzees take charge of the club

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Andy Mack

It’s just a twitter joke. Picked up by some half-wit at the daily mail newspaper. No reason to think it has any truth to it.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Merlin's Panini

Salomon Kalou would be a fucking disaster. I’m hoping this is bullshit seeing as we’ve been linked with him every year for seemingly forever and it’s never come to anything. At least all these new spuds players haven’t gelled yet so our football should be a lot more cohesive and fluid than theirs.
Can’t wait for this fucking window to shut. I’m sick of it and I’ll be glad to see the back of it. If we end up with no one else and it has serious repercussions on our season because of the lack of depth i think things could get really ugly.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Bonjour

They won’t get ugly unfortunately. No more Champions League money but that can be compensated with a ticket price increase. There are enough tourists to fill the 60,000 seats at the stadium every week.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Greg

Kalou! Top top super quality. If he signs arsene, just fuck off you massive cunt

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

santori

Believe everything you read?

Daily Mail?

😀

It’s you that needs to F off.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Neder

you disrespecting asshole.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Hank Scorpio

It’s only the DM reporting it so far but Kalou is a cheaper version of Gerv with slightly less skill, a lot cheaper (£2.6mil supposedly) and far less heart. Would be a tidy profit though – slightly inferior player albeit heartless and 5mil in the bank

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Hank Scorpio

It’s only the DM reporting it so far but Kalou is a cheaper version of Gerv with slightly less skill, a lot cheaper (£2.6mil supposedly) and far less heart. Would be a tidy profit though – slightly inferior player albeit heartless and 5mil in the bank

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Thin Gooner

Sp*rs love La Sagna

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

muchadoaboutnot

Go Flamini! Kick those slacker hard and out on Sunday.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

santori

Some of the biggest fighters in the team are the French boys.

Barring Jack, Koscielny, Sagna and now Flamini will all dig in heels and grind in the result.

Hoping our Belgian Vermaelen will return to combative form soon.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Trez

Spurs just signed eriksen…they now have a better team than we do…fact!!. Not only will they make the top 4, but they’ll challenge for the epl. Wenger has turned into an idiot these last few years. Dont get me started with gazidis and law. Spurs have levy and baldini helping avb build a frightening team..,plsss Wenger, pack your bags and get lost….ur a looser and a disgrace. Sanogo and flamini-top top quality…stupid idiot

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

GU1TAR-D3MON

How is it a fact? We are still The Arsenal and come Sunday we (better) will prove it
In Arsenal (the players not the football club as a whole) I trust

We paid over 11m for gervinho and sold him at a loss. To sign a player that failed in the pl as his replacement smacks of desperation. Yet I guess he’s cheap and we will over pay him

Just end the misery now, every day I have the hope we sign what we desp need but apparently no top top quality available who can play our game. Thank god for kalou then, our new arshavin

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

samba

It is derby and it will be arsenal vs 5pur2.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Adam

Dont know why but this comment made me happy. Let’s cherish it at 5-2.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

kes

Anyone else or just me wishing we had kept arshavin now?

Vote Up00Vote Down Reply

5 years ago

D-holio

I have to admit that I was one of the many who thought Bac’s best days were behind him as one major injury after another had taken its toll. I was ready for him to leave this year and never see another one of his shit crosses again.

Give me a large slice of humble pie please! He’s been professional as ever so far playing out of position and playing really well. At this rate, young Carl may have to wait another couple of years.

Bac hates Spuds!

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

santori

I was one to point out his merits last season when many were heaping praise on Jenkinson.

It’s easy to get carried away like we are with Ramsey at the moment, granted his massive strides in improvement.

To me, Sagna embodies our ethos. he is the remnant of the old guard and holds important institutional memory. he is a leader and a fighter and an inspiration to the rest of the squad.

I’d give him the captain’s band without second thought.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Adam

A podcast i listened to yesterday described both players mentioned, as the ones who always celebrate and go nuts when we score; and always are emotional when we lose an important game.

We need more players like these (which we do have, they arent the only ones) but I say keep them for as long as we can.

Skunk, Vieira, Flamini; great players, but wouldn’t but them a pint.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Dogthebountyhunter

Q) what team brags about how much money they have and spreads wild rumours about the players they will sign but can’t manage to arrange a piss up in a brewery?
A) arsenal
So disappointed in this transfer window having not signed 1 quality player. There are players out there that could potentially have strengthed a very weak side ( based on injuries) just read the scousers have signed sahko from PSG, and obviously Edmonton FC bringing in a whole new bunch of bodies who I personally think are brilliant buys ( paulinho for example) I hate to say it but we ain’t gonna finish top 4 this season.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

santori

Won’t worry too much about Sakho. Currently has an attitude problem and has not been great last season.

not to mention Rodgers last trumped us to Sahin but did he know how to use him?;)

We could also extrapolate that their new signings are good but we can afford a better tier.

1) Lamela. We can get Mata or Konoplyanka or Di Maria.
2) Ericksen. They lost bale. We haven’t lost anyone substantial this summer.
3) Paulinho. Flamini is probably a better fit and an instant capability for us.
4) Capoue. A good buy @9m but what price a late Fellaini bid?
5) Soldao. Benzema is a notch above or Leandro Damiao (Falcao situation also bears a bit of watching albeit likely it will drag till Jan before/if Monaco sells)
6) Since Flamini cost nothing, we may also channel resource to bring in a keeper or a defender.

The trouble for us is all this is existential at the moment. We have 3 days to prove it.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Theoretical Signing #2

Theoretical dammit! Hypothetical! Something!

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

James

Think rosicky will last more than 15 games, and it’s not the first team that’s the problem it’s the players right after that, the guy on the bench, the player to replace szec, Kos, rosicky and artera and Giroud, want the team to change tactics mid game as we need something extra who do we turn to?
Injured who do we turn to?
Most teams for the title have to great players in each position and some have 4 strikers!

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

santori

4 strikers is a bit over the top.

3 is sufficient.

So we have Giroud. Podolski is a handy third option. One more will do. Sanogo will be your fourth striker if you like.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

James

Thie sickener is he will give Wilshere another stress fracture running him into the ground again, he needs more rotation.
Santi was fucked half way through last season but we couldn’t give him a break, it’s just not fair on the players anymore

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Kos

Arsene thinks Chelsea haven’t spent this summer and finding it hard like us.

Must admit their invisible unsigned player Shurrle looked quite good tonight in the Super Cup and van ginkel is a handy player. Plus they just spunked another 30 mill on Willian…

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Nelson

The good thing is that Chelsea have signed so many midfielders that some will not get game time. last time I checked, Mourinho had 11 midfielders, which does not make them better than us who have 5 midfielders.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

ghjf

Arsenal becoming a bit Dr Goebbels spewing out the propoganda

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

santori

That’s because you are gullible to believe everything the media puts out.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Shitbird

Don’t believe the Tottenham hype people. 110m spent and they will still finish behind us. I’m not cheering about it–we should be looking up the table, not down, which is what spending this summer was supposed to be about—but Arsenal’s first XI is still better than theirs.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

santori

And you can only ever play 11 +3 at once. Our issue is depth at the moment.

We can also benefit from a bit more creativity (Over what we already have), particularly up top where a striker with some guile and pace will help.

Someone like Leandro Damiao should be looked at. He has lost his way a little and may need a change of scenary to up his potential for the Selecao and world cup next summer. Tall, quick, powerful, good on the ball, a better option than maybe waiting for Benzema at the moment. Likely now uncer 30m (somewhere between 24-28m should land him)

Out wide, Mata may not be allowed to come to us but Konoplyanka from Dnipro Petrovesk should cost 18-22m. He is quick, good with both feet, plays across midfield, a NAtional level playnaker who shone in the Euros and is good at set pieces.

Then with Flamini on we can afford to gamble a bit on the tall midfielder. So this St etienne chap Guayagurui or whatever his name could be possible but I’d love to see us snatch Fellaini from under United.

his release is 24m (they are trying to bundle him on account of Moye’s old tie). If they get distracted and he remains on the shelf, we may get him for between 22-26m. That would be a real coup and a great addition with experience, versatilty and height.

I was hoping Wenger also considers Gourcouff but looks like he is set to stay. not sure if Draxler will be moved either and although good, he is more an AM and is still young.

Whatever the case, very late but still plenty of options out there.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

santori

Spuds may have blown their wad too soon.

Soldado is a decent signing but if we land Benzema class or Leandro Damiao type (who won’t go to them cos they are not in CL), it would seem they have signed close to but not quite quality.

Ditto Paulinho to Flamini (even as a ‘has been’) he is familiar instantly with the style of the team and brings experience.

Capoue is a great signing at 9m but again, with the likes of Fellaini still available or Goucouff (even if he is -recommitted to Lyon, can still be moved), close but no cigar.

Eriksen is a great signing but then we haven’t lost a Bale this season.

Lamela is also a decent signing but if we bring in any of Di Maria, Konoplyanka or Mata, well not really as good.

The only difference of curse which really irks us at the moment is that they have done it whilst ours is still very much well, existential.

That is a big diff at the moment bridged temporarily by the fact that our squad has a slight edge in being a little more familiar with each other. But the squad is also very thin.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

vern

I maybe crazy but I cant help thinking heavy loss against spurs ala man utd 2 seasons back will atleasr force wenger to panic buy and help in the longer run.. for every santos there will be an arteta mertsacker and benayoun..

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Hank Scorpio

Santori that analysis is great except for 1 thing. You are comparing actual signings to hypothetical players who at this stage won’t be influencing the outcome of any actual games

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Andy Mack

He’s just comparing ‘actuals’ with unknown’ which is exactly what all the doom mongers are doing without knowing what our situation will be on the 3rd sept when the window has closed.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Ben

Am i the only one who remembers what this traitor did.to us. He ruthlessly ran down his contract which meant we had to experience the Denilson experiement. Until.song came along teams bullied us off the park or ruined us on the counter. Sorry but i still have not forgiven him.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

AP

So he completed his contract, how is that a problem? You bought him for x years and he played x years, how is that a problem? Do you even understand the meaning of a deal?

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Goon

I want him to start against Spurs. The usual back 4 with Flamini – Ramsey – Rosicky – Cazorla – Wilshere. I think it might be a good idea to use Ryo on the left at some stage. He tracks back well and his pace will help us.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Ben

So if RVP had stayed for the last season of his contract and rejected all extensions. You would just wave him off into the sunset. Dont make laugh. Flamini was suppose to replace gilberto. Wenger gave him a shot, even got him into the France national team and he walked for free. He’s done the same to his last 3 teams, no loyalty. Worse still I think if he had stayed, with him and csec in the middle we would not be talking.about 8 years without a trophy.

Vote Up00Vote Down

5 years ago

Greg

Flamini only got his chance due to injuries not some great aw masterplan. If we made rvp stay we would have been significantly stronger last season and in with a great chance. If we won and he left thanks and bye but he left because he wanted to win things and aw didn’t.